Germany reportedly let the United States spy on France and the European Commission from its territory

The German intelligence agency reportedly let the United States spy on French and European Commission officials from the Bad Aibling spying station in Bavaria.

According to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung from 30 April, the German intelligence service, Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), let the US National security agency (NSA) listen in on officials from the French presidency and ministry of foreign affairs, as well as the European Commission. Phone tapping was done from the BND’s Bad Aibling spying station in Bavaria and information was transmitted to the NSA, according to the newspaper. It was not specified when and for how long spying occurred.

These revelations come after reports that the German Chancellor’s office was aware of the situation since at least 2008. In 2008, the BND informed Angela Merkel’s chief of staff at the time, Thomas de Maiziere, who is now Germany’s Interior minister that the practice of the specific information sought by the US was against western European and German interests. Also, it was not covered by, and/or went against, the US-German 2002 Memorandum of Agreement to cooperate against terrorism. Reportedly, the BND asked the NSA to stop its violation.

Bad Aibling station is a former US espionage base handed over to the BND in 2004, where the NSA kept a secret office, according to earlier reports by Der Spiegel magazine. The scale of German-US intelligence cooperation came to light because the Bundestag’s intelligence committee has been investigating claims that the NSA had wiretapped Merkel’s mobile phone.